Subiaco, Ancient monastic settlement in Latium, Italy
Subiaco is a commune in the Metropolitan City of Rome that sits along the slopes of the Aniene River valley at 408 meters elevation, surrounded by limestone cliffs of the Apennines. The area includes two major monastery complexes, Santa Scolastica and Sacro Speco, built into the rock walls above the town center.
The settlement grew around Benedictine monasteries founded from the 6th century by Benedict of Nursia. German printers Arnold Pannartz and Konrad Sweynheim opened Italy's first printing press at Santa Scolastica Abbey in 1464.
The town center keeps the layout of a medieval mountain settlement with steep lanes and stone houses arranged across different levels. Residents tend vegetable gardens along the terraces and use the small squares as meeting points in daily life.
Regular bus services run from Rome's Ponte Mammolo metro station and take about 90 minutes through the Aniene valley. The narrow streets in the town center are best explored on foot, while the higher monasteries require steep walking paths.
Emperor Nero built three artificial lakes near the site for his villa complex, giving the Latin name Sublaqueum, meaning under the lake. The lakes were later destroyed by floods, but their ruins remain visible in the valley.
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